Author's Note: So…it's the second to last day of testing. Tomorrow will be part two of my math test, so I'll be done this week. Still, I wasn't sure if I was going to have time to update this weekend, as I will be busy with community service and going to a concert (yay!). So I decided to update today. If I update on Sunday or something, that's good too, so it's a win-win for all of us. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

Chapter 20

When I arrived at school the next morning, the Volvo and M3 was there, as usual. That hadn't changed at all, except the person I wanted to see was not there.

"Hey, Bella," Jasper said, opening the car door for me. He smiled, but it looked strained. "How was your weekend?"

"It sucked," I mumbled, sliding out and pulling up my hood to block the light drizzle.

"Hey, Bells!" Emmett greeted me cheerfully as always. "Missed you this weekend." He opened his arms wide for a hug, his face expectant.

I couldn't help but smile slightly at his naturally optimistic attitude. He and Alice had a lot in common with the bubbly personality that became contagious most of the time.

"It was only two days," I said, not moving to hug him.

"Don't leave me hangin', Isabella," Emmett warned, pouting.

Rosalie, who was right behind him, just looked at me meaningfully: Just give him a freaking hug.

I sighed as I walked into his broad chest and got lost in them. I could hardly breathe when he squeezed me tightly. He was so warm. He was like the big brother that I'd never had. I felt comfort and brotherly love radiate off of him in every way.

"You okay?" Emmett asked, finally letting go and studying my eyes intently. He looked really concerned, like a brother should. It was sweet.

I made a slight face. "I'm…hangin' on."

"Fine!" Alice said suddenly. "Be that way!"

Startled, I looked at my best friend, wondering what I'd done to antagonize her this time. But it looked like it wasn't my fault, but somebody she was talking to on the phone. Funny, I hadn't even noticed that her attention was somewhere else. I should have, I guess. Usually, she would interrupt everyone else and greet me.

I looked at the others, who were looking rather frustrated with something. I cocked my head, asking them a silent question.

Rosalie just shook her head like she was saying, Don't even ask. Emmett was looking up at the dreary weather, looking extremely bored, and Jasper sighed and looked down at his feet, shuffling them.

"If you're going to be such a stubborn jerk, then you'll never get her!" Alice continued. "And if that's the way you want it, then fine. I'm not going to help you again. Don't regret it when you lose her to someone else." She hung up on the other person and leaned against my Audi, sighing deeply. Her eyes were closed, and she looked pissed.

I swallowed. Alice was a morning person. She was always bright and cheerful, particularly before school started. But if she was already angry about something, that wasn't good.

"Who were you talking to?" I asked. "Some other friend of yours?"

Alice snorted and opened her eyes. "Who do you think I was talking to? Only the most idiotic brother a girl can have in the whole wide world, of course."

I frowned. "But Emmett's right here… Oh." I turned away, my face hardening.

I thought about what she'd been telling him on the phone just a few seconds ago. If you're going to be such a stubborn jerk, then you'll never get her…

Hm, I wondered who 'her' was. Who could it be? I was very curious.

"Alice, I would appreciate it if you would not talk about me behind my back," I said stiffly. "I don't care who you're talking to. It's not polite."

"But he's being so stubborn!" Alice burst out. "He thinks that 'giving her space will be better for her'." She made air quotes with her fingers.

"Well, then, maybe it is better for her," I said. "And it would be even more better for her if her friends would butt out of her personal life as well." I began walking toward the buildings.

"Bella, we're only frustrated because we've watched you two for a long time," Rosalie said as they all followed me. "We've watched Edward fall in love with you very deeply over the years, and it's just so…frustrating when he's being an idiot."

"He's never an idiot," I said, unable to stop myself from defending him.

"He is, when it comes to you," Rosalie countered firmly, giving me a small smile. "That much has always been certain to all of us. He never knows what to do with you. Haven't you ever noticed that he spoils you?"

I heaved a big sigh. "So he's my brother now?"

"You know what I mean. He's always giving into everything that you want, always losing for you, always siding with you…not that you were ever wrong, of course," Rosalie added.

Just thinking about him made me feel lousy. "Can we not talk about him, please?"

"In case you're wondering, he's over there, with his friends," Emmett said, pointing with his chin.

I saw a group of jocks over at Mike and Austin's cars from the corner of my eyes, talking loudly and laughing like idiots. I totally recognized the bronze hair.

"I wasn't wondering," I grumbled, but of course, they could tell it was a lie. They didn't say anything to tell me off, but glanced at each other knowingly.

"Are you going to talk to him?" Jasper wanted to know.

"No," I snapped. "I'm planning on ignoring him completely."

"No, Bella!" Alice shrieked a little too loudly, earning half the parking lot's stares. The jocks glanced over as well, looking curious.

"Shut up!" I said crankily. "I can avoid you guys too, if I wanted to."

"NO!" Alice and Rosalie chorused.

Great. Now the entire parking lot was looking at us.

It was silent for a long awkward moment. I was glaring at my two friends, annoyed.

Then, over at the jock group, someone called, "Hey, Bella!"

I pursed my lips when I recognized Mike's voice. He never slipped past an opportunity to capture my attention.

I looked at him, expressionless, and then, my gaze slid from Mike to Edward. He was staring at me with the same poker face that I had on. We had a staring contest for a long time.

Then, feeling weak and vulnerable from staring at his dangerously deep emerald eyes, I looked away first. I continued to walk away, faster this time.

My friends followed silently, and the entire school watched us leave. I didn't remember until later: I'd forgotten to return Mike's greeting, something that I never did.

Edward's Point of View

"So what's up with you and Bella, man?" Austin asked. "The whole school's curious. Did you guys really fight? You never fight."

"Yeah," Mike said. "You always give into Bella and lose. Why didn't you do that this time?"

I hated this. I hated the fact that I was the most popular guy on campus. Even my friends were onto me. Stupid life.

"We just had a small argument," I lied. "That's all."

"Well, why don't you go talk to her?" Eric Yorkie suggested. "Make up. You guys never stayed mad at each other longer than, what, two hours?"

"One hour and a half is the exact record time," Austin said, rolling his eyes. "Last time I checked. And dude, that was in, like, fifth grade."

I bit my lip as I turned my phone in my hand. I watched as Bella's expression slowly progressed to irritation. I recalled the conversation I'd just had on the phone with Alice.

She was right. I was being a stubborn jerk. But I was afraid. What if she hated me now? I was absolutely certain that she would be avoiding me from now on. And I was afraid of that. What if I tried talking to her and made our relationship worse? Then there would be no turning back.

"Rumor has it that you confessed to her after the dance or something?" Ben Cheney said. "Is it true?"

Before I could think of a lie to satisfy them, there came a very familiar "No, Bella!" from across the parking lot. We all turned to the sound.

Bella looked annoyed as she snapped something inaudible back at my sister. Alice and Rosalie responded with a loud, "NO!", earning startled looks from the entire parking lot.

It was silent for a long time. Then, in order to break the awkward tension in the air, Mike called out, "Hey, Bella!"

I nearly rolled my eyes. It was a totally Mike-like idea.

Bella glanced at us, and her eyes slid from my friend to me. Her expression hardened almost immediately, but she kept her face free of any other emotion.

We kept staring at each other for a long while. I lost track of time. I lost track of everything in her deep, brown, beautiful eyes.

She looked away first. She didn't look back once as she walked away toward the building with my friends and siblings in tow.

AN: Short chapter, I know, but still…better than nothing, isn't it? Reviews, please! I'm getting slightly disappointed by the lack of reviews these days!